Issue permits or face de-affiliation: DC to schools

Deeply annoyed over the attitude of some schools whose principals or management representatives failed to attend the meeting at Bachat Bhawan called to discuss private van operators strike,which entered its ninth day on Thursday

Deeply annoyed over the attitude of some schools whose principals or management representatives failed to attend the meeting at Bachat Bhawan called to discuss private van operators strike,which entered its ninth day on Thursday,Deputy Commissioner Rahul Tewari made it clear to schools to either issue permits at the earliest to vans fit to ply or face de-affiliation.

Tewari said that private schools,who took hefty amount from parents were responsible to ensure safe travel of students.

Giving private schools time till Monday,he ordered for a camp to be held on Monday at DAV Public School,BRS Nagar,where all school managements have to get an agreement signed from van operators and issue them permits to ferry children.

However,he also clarified that no permit would be issued to van,which were unfit,older than 15 years and in a rickety state.

As per high court orders,an agreement will be signed by van operators,who agree to follow the rules of the Motor Vehicle Act and complete their documents and then schools will issue permits to them.

Meanwhile,deeply annoyed over schools that failed to attend the meeting,Tewari said de-affiliation was the only step that would be followed,if orders were not obliged to.

He also turned out the teacher sent by Sacred Heart Convent School,Sarabha Nagar,to attend the meeting,saying that schools should not make a joke of it by sending a teacher to attend such an important meeting.

We gave van operators facilities like issuing of fitness certificates and other documents. Even bankers were called for drivers,who wanted to seek loans for new vans, Garg added.

We invited all the schools. It was up to them whether to attend. We have issued permits, said Paramjit Kaur,principal,BCM.

While van operators were not ready to change old vans,we cannot allow them to run on roads, said Rajesh Rudra,director of Greenland.

Operators of a majority of schools like Sacred Heart Convent,Sacred Heart BRS Nagar,Kundan Vidya Mandir,Sat Paul Mittal,DAV and Guru Nanak Public School are still on strike.

Issuing safety regulations for school vans,DTO has asked private van operators to get all documents and school permits. However,private school van operators expressed their inability to fulfill all the norms.